Diagonal bracing for metallic structures



Aug. 9, 1938.

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E. L. SOUL DIAGONAL BRAGING FOR METALLIC STRUCTURES Filed April 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /S/ll2\ fla INVENTOR. dwwofeffula A TTORNEY.

Aug. 9, 1938.

E. L. soUL DIAGONAL BRACING FOR METALLIC STRUCTURES Filed April 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN1/E TOR. dwamo( ma. BY

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ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 9, 1938 PATENT QFMQE DIAGONAL BRACHNG FOR METALLIC STRUCTURES Edward L. Soul, Oakland, Calif.V

Application April 18,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in diagonal bracing for metallic structures, and pertains particularly to means for connecting diagonally placed brace members with vertical and horizontal members of a structural metal assembly.

In structural metal buildings horizontal wall loads such as are set up by wind and seismic forces are counteracted by diagonal members connecting the walls at various points with their foundations so that these loads will be directly transmitted to the foundations.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a simple andimproved form of connection for the ends of such diagonal braces with the metal framework of the walls and with the foundation and to provide means for this purpose that will effect a proper transmission between the connected elements of the forces encountered and to provide means that are simple in construction and readily adapted to the various conditions that may be met in ordinary construction.

One form of my invention is exemplied in the accompanying drawings, wherein its application under various conditions is illustrated. Detailed reference to the drawings is made in the following specification, wherein further of the objects and advantages of the invention are made apparent.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a portion of a twostory metallic wall frame illustrating diagonal brace members secured thereto in accordance with my invention; l

Fig. 2 is a similar View illustrating the manner in which the invention may be adapted to the bending of brace members to avoid windowopenings and the like;

Fig. 3 is a, similar view of a one-story frame, illustrating a further use of the securing members in connection with the placing of braces to avoid a window-opening;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view if of one of the securing members illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a similar View of another of the securing members illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a similar View of a combination of the I?) securing members as illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the securing member illustrated in Fig. 5;

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged sectional views of the application of the securing member as il- 55 lustrated in Fig. 3; and

1936, Serial No. 75,130

(Cl. 18S- 34) Fig. is an enlarged section of means employed for connecting the lower ends of the diagonal braces with the foundation of the wall structure.

Figs. l, 2 and 3 of the drawings illustrate structural metal walls supported on concrete foundations ill. A sill II rests upon the foundation and vertically extending parallel studs I2 are supported on the sill and are joined at their upper ends by a plate I3.

In Figs. 1 and 2 a two story wall is illustrated and a horizontal ledge i4, which may be in the form of an angular member welded to the edges of the vertical studs, deiines the dividing line between stories and lends rigidity to the studs. The sills, studs and plates are all of structural metal. The studs I2 are of I-shaped cross section and their web portions are, as illustrated in Fig. 7, perforated to decrease their weight without materially reducing their strength to 9 oppose normal structural forces. All metal parts of the wall are secured together at their points of contact with each other by suitable means such, for example, as welding. v

Diagonal brace members, shown at I5 and I6 in Fig. 1, are passed through the perforations in the webs of the studs and connected at their ends with the studs and in some cases with the foundation to resist lateral forces such, for eX- ample, as may be set up by wind and earthquake. It is to the means for connecting such braces with the vertical and horizontal wall members that the present invention is particularly directed.

In Fig. l the upper ends of the braces I5 are 'I' connected with the I-beam studs through the medium of connecting members I'I. In Fig. 4 such a member il is shown as comprising a semicylindrical shell welded, as`at E8, along its upper edge and IQ along its lower edge to the web of the I-beam and perforated at 2B to receive the end of a brace I5, which is threaded to receive a nut 2l. The perforation 2@ in the shell ll may be formed at any required point to permit the brace I5 to be disposed at any suitable angle, and it is preferred that the perforation be placed at such a, point that the center of the brace I5 will lie along a radius of the semicylindrical shell Il', thereby forming a seat against which the nut 2| may be drawn which is tangent to the outer surface of the shell. When the elements have been placed in the position illustrated in Fig. 4, the nut is tightened to place the proper tension on the brace I5. This samev arrangement of the elements may be used at the lower ends of the rods, if it is desired, to provide for taking up on the rods from both ends.

The lower ends of the brace rods I5 in Fig. l and the upper ends of the rods I6 are connected with the studs in the manner illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7, wherein the shell I'I is shown as perforated at two points :for the reception of both the brace rod I5 and the brace rod I6. Fig. 7 also illustrates the manner in which the semicylindrical shell Il spans the perforation in the web of the I-beam and as a solid fitting against the imperforate edges of the web.

Means for connecting the lower brace rods I6 with the foundation are illustrated at 22 inv Fig. 1 and are also illustrated in Fig. l0. Anchor bolts 23 are let into the concrete foundation and extend upwardly through perforations in the sill II and have their upper ends bent to anangle parallel to the angle at which the brace I6 is to be disposed. The brace rod I6 may be connected with the upper end of the anchor bolt in any desired manner, a splice weld, such as illustrated in Fig. 10, being suitable for this purpose.

Fig. 2 illustrates the use of the semi-cylindrical shell I I for the purpose of bending the brace rods to avoid Window or door openings formed in the wall at 25. In this gure and in Fig. 8 a semicylindrical shell is illustrated as welded to the web of one of the studs and a brace rod 26 passes over the shell and the shell serves as a bearing over which it is bent and to which it may be welded for additional rigidity. As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 9, brace rods 21 may be bent over the upper corners of a window opening in the same manner as they are bent in Figs. 2 and 8.

In the lower portion of Fig. 2 the upper ends of brace rods 3U and the lower ends of the brace rods 26 are shown as terminating at substantially the same point adjacent the corner of a window opening and in this construction, which is best illustrated in Fig. 6, it is possible to apply tension to both of the brace rods which terminate in this position. The semi-cylindrical shell Il lwelded to one side of the stud receives the rod 26 in the usual manner and a second shell I'Ia, which is a quarter cylinder, is positioned at the junction of the vertical stud and the horizontal window header 3 I.

The connecting member described above is inexpensive in construction and is adapted to the forming of connections between the brace rods and the vertical studs at any desired angle, and the manner in which it is secured across the perforated webs of the I-beam makes insertion and adjustment of the brace rods very simple, and also insures that the diagonal stresses are properly taken up by these members in conjunction with the horizontal members and foundation, thus releasing the vertically extending members from any horizontal loads or stresses.

While I have illustrated the preferred form of my invention and described the same only in connection with a few of the uses to which it may be adapted, it should be understood that the invention is not limited by the foregoing disclosure and that it may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a structural metal Wall and diagonal brace therefor of a member for connecting the diagonal brace with a structural metal Wall element which comprises a semicylindrical shell secured to the wall element and perforated to receive a brace extending through the wall element and radially through the shell whereby a nut on the end of the brace may be drawn tight against the external surface of the shell.

2. The combination with a structural metal wall and diagonal brace therefor of a member for connecting the diagonal brace with a struc- Ytural metal wall element, said element having a therein to receive the brace in a radial position relative to the shell, whereby a nut threaded on the end of the brace may be tightened to a position tangent to the external surface of shell.

4. In combination with a wall including vertical perforate structural metal elements supported on a foundation and diagonal braces passing through the perforations of the vertical members, means for connecting the braces with the foundations comprising anchor members let into the foundation and disposed at an angle parallel to that of the braces, and means for connecting the braces to the vertical elements comprising semicylindrical brace receiving members secured to said elements and spanning the perforate portion thereof whereby they will receive the ends of braces extending through said perforate elements.

5. In combination with a structural metal wall including vertical and horizontal members supported upon a foundation and diagonal braces to transmit lateral forces from the vertical members to the foundation, means for connecting said braces to the vertical members, comprising semicylindrical perforated elements secured to the vertical members and receiving said braces in a manner to transmit the tensional stress thereof, through means bearing on the outer cylindrical surfaces of the said elements.

6. The combination with a structural metal wall comprising structural metal elements having perforate web portions and diagonal braces extending through the perforations of said webs, of an element over which said braces may be bent comprising a substantially semi-cylindrical shell secured to the web of the wall element with portions resting on the imperforate parts of the web and portions spanning a perforate part thereof.

EDWARD L. soULE'. 

